Response Validation in Google Forms: The Ultimate Guide for 2023
In this article, we will show you how to use response validation in Google Forms in just a few clicks. Simply follow the steps below.
What Does Response Validation Mean in Google Forms?
Response validation in Google Forms is a feature that allows the creator of a form to set specific rules for each question. These rules must be followed by respondents in order for their answers to be accepted. If a response does not meet the set criteria, the respondent will receive a prompt to correct their answer.
Here are some ways you can use response validation in Google Forms:
Text Validation
For a text question, you can require the answer to contain certain words or characters or match a specific format like an email address.
Example: When requesting an email address, you can set the response validation to "Text," choose "Email," which will validate that the response entered has an email format.
Number Validation
For number questions, you can set a range (e.g., must be greater than 5), require a specific number, or allow only numbers that are multiples of a certain value.
Example: If you're asking for someone's age, you could set the response validation to "Number," "Greater than," and enter "0" to ensure a positive number is entered.
Length Validation
You can require a minimum or maximum number of characters in text responses.
Example: For a U.S. phone number, you could set the response validation to "Length," "Minimum character count," and enter "10" to ensure a 10-digit number is provided.
Regular Expression
Advanced users can use regular expressions to set more complex rules for text responses.
Example: To validate a car model that starts with "F" and ends with "E," you can use "Regular expression," "Matches," and enter the pattern "^F.*E$."
Check out our articles on email validation and phone number validation in google forms to learn more about how you can use regular expressions for response validation.
How to Use Response Validation in Google Forms
1. Select Your Question
Click on the question to which you want to apply response validation.
2. Show Advanced Options at the Bottom-Right Corner of the Question Box
At the bottom of the question box, click on the three-dot menu (more options).
3. Choose Response Validation from the Dropdown Menu
From the menu that appears, select “Response validation.”
4. Set the Criteria
Once you click on "Response validation," new options will appear under the question. Choose the type of validation you need (e.g., Text, Number, Length, Regular expression, etc.). Then, set the specific criteria based on the type chosen (e.g., Number, Greater than).
5. Customize Your Error Text
You can write custom error text that respondents will see if they don't meet the validation criteria. Enter this message in the field that appears below the validation rules.
6. Test the Validation
After setting up your validation, use the eye icon in the upper right corner to preview the form. Test the question by entering a response that doesn't meet the validation criteria to ensure that it triggers the error message.
Here's what it looks like in our example:
Repeat these steps for any additional questions you want to add validation to. It's a good practice to inform respondents of the expected format or requirement in the question description or in the question itself to reduce the chances of validation errors and improve the respondent's experience.
We hope that this article has helped you and given you a better understanding of what response validation means in Google Forms and how to enable it.
You might also like our articles on how to add questions based on an answer in Google Forms and how long can a short answer be in Google Forms. To optimize your workflow better, we recommend reading our guide on how to send emails from Google Forms based on responses.
